Makes me sad...

That so much of my hand drawn art work is completely ignored, yet something I did on a Pony creator/ generator is faved and loved. Heck there are OC pony communities out there on dA that won't allow generator ponies, yet never go looking out for hand drawn art either. It has to be something done on a tablet and colored in Photoshop/Ink Scape/Sai or nothing.

Hypocrites, I hate them.

Itty bitty trotting Honeycrisp

I was up to about 1:00 am doing this. And now I find out there is a tenth frame that will make the animation even smoother! Grrrrr!!

Something Unexpected, A Soldier in Silver Part 4,

Destrier wanted to hit something, preferably Charger’s father Lancer. Oh, if only he could get his hooves on him…

“And you mother is okay with this?” Destrier asked, as the colt pawed the floor with his left hoof.

“Mum said that they no longer have room for me at home, sir. They gave my little sister my old room and turned her smaller room into her closet. Pastel has lots of clothes, you see. She’s a regular clothes horse.” 

Destrier was completely surprised by this. Peppermint Bon Bon hadn’t been the type to just allow her foal to be tossed out like yesterdays trash.  Not the Minty he knew. But then again she did marry Lancer and he had always been jerk. Maybe it rubbed off.

There was a flapping sound of wings from outside, and a fleeting glimpse of Princess Celestia as she passed by the windows outside his quarters. She looked decidedly unhappy. Destrier smirked a bit. Lancer and Minty were going to get a talking to by her royal Highness.

He turned his attention back to Charger. The scarlet unicorn removed his helm, letting it rest upon his desk. He gave his head a shake, but knew that until he left the Royal Guard Academy building, his mane would stay in a high crest. The building had spells upon it for that very reason. Once out of this place, Destrier was getting his mane cut, because it was bound to be way too long. He didn’t like having his mane in his face.

“Son, I’ve just retired from the unit. I’m leaving Canterlot as soon as possible. I’ve no need for a valet. He said as he removed the rest of his armor, a time consuming task shorted by the use of magic. He then retrieved his saddle bags and began to pack them. Not that he had a ton of belongings. Most of the things in the room belonged to the Academy. “I don’t even know where I’m going yet.”

“I’d like permission to accompany you where ever it is you choose to go, sir,” Charger said. “I’m not from Canterlot, and I’m sure the ponies here in town would rather I go anyway after everything that happened tonight.”

The former commander could not dispute that. Most of the merchants in Canterlot Square would be thrilled to see the colt leave town altogether.  Destrier stared at the young stallion and then heaved a sigh. He was going to regret this, wasn’t he?

“Permission granted, colt. I have a few more things to do before we leave Canterlot. I have a few goodbyes to make. I’m sure you need to get your things…”

“Thank you, sir!” Charger said happily, “I was hoping you’d say yes. I have my stuff outside the door.”

He was prepared. Of course he was. He was a former member of the Royal Guard, wasn’t he? Destrier had trained him to be ready for anything.

“Where are you from, anyway?”

“Ponyville, sir. I was thinking of going there if you said no. I still have friends there.”

"Sounds about as good a place to go as any. A small town is just what this retiree may need."

His things packed, the scarlet stallion led his new found companion out of the Academy building. There was a slight nip of fall in the air, the season having changed mere days ago. Once outside of the gates, both ponies’ manes fell, finally released from the magic that held them upright and stiff as a brush since they both joined the Guard. The helmets that the guards wore had the same spell upon them, so that when they travelled outside of the main Academy and Base, they would still look like the pony centurions they really were.

Destrier saw a glimpse of himself in the glass display of a sweet shop, his forelock had fallen over his missing right eye. He looked like someone who spent their time hanging out at street corner café’s wearing a dirty beret and reciting terrible poetry about gold fish. Charger looked almost girly. They both seriously needed a haircut and fast.  It was a good thing that the Buzzcut’s mane clipper shop was just around the corner.

Story Post: "A Soldier in Silver" Chapter 3

“No.” the Princess of all of Equestria said firmly. “You will not resign, Destrier. I won’t accept it.”

Destrier’s jaw dropped and he stared at the princess, looking like a landed fish. 

“Permission to speak freely, your Highness?” he said after several moments of awkward silence.

“Permission granted, Commander.”

“I will kill him. I promise you that. If I stay on here as a member of the Guard, I will be tempted to end his life,” Destrier began. “I can’t forgive him or forget what that filthy loathsome little son of a mule did six years ago. I can’t bear the idea of giving him anything, much less having to stand there silently and allow Greenbacks to take from the fund for the families that the Guard set up for those that died in service to Equestria.” 

He paused for a breath, noting that it now was the princess that looked surprised by his words.

“I would sully the very name of the Guard and what little honor I have left, and tear his wretched hide to pieces, as the 'tame' chimera he brought to Canterlot Square did my brothers in arms. I must insist upon you accepting my resignation, your Highness. It may be the only way to prevent me from attacking and killing Greenbacks.”

“Resignations in this matter are undignified,” Celestia said, watching the emotions play across the scarlet unicorn's face. “Retirement would be a better choice. I will allow you to retire from the Royal Guard, Commander.”

Destrier breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Princess.”

“Where are you going to go?” she asked, concerned for her friend. “I can see that Canterlot is out of the question.”

“I don’t know.” Destrier shrugged, “Perhaps to Manehattan, though I am not sure…”

The discussion of where he should go went on for a little while; Destrier had no idea how long he and the Princess talked; all he knew was that this was quite possibly the longest conversation he had ever had with her. 

There was a knock upon the door, and then without waiting to be asked to be admitted, Charger entered the commander’s quarters. The colt looked completely lost and exposed without his armor. Destrier turned to the Princess and noticed that she had stepped out onto the Balcony overlooking the city. He and Charger were effectively alone.

“What is it, colt?” Destrier asked, more than slightly annoyed that Charger had entered his quarters without permission.

“I was wondering, sir….” Charger said, not meeting Destrier’s eye. “I was wondering if you would keep me on here as your valet or something.”

“Go home, son,” The older stallion said, not bothering to hide his irritation. “Go home with your folks.”

“That’s impossible, sir. My father…my father won’t allow me to return home. He says I disgraced the family name with my discharge from the Guard.”

Not Dead Yet!

Turns out that I caught the rootkit before it could take hold. Woohoo!

Well that's just great...

Thanks to some jerk with an unsolicited and unopened email that was supposed to be deleted but instead hung out in a folder, I have a rootkit virus on my computer.

Last time this happened I had to have a new hard drive.